Metabolic pixel 2.0: A Cycle within Cycles.
This project focuses on utilising bio-waste in a variety of techniques. The idea is to incorporate IaaC’s city campus and Valldaura campus into one metabolic cycle. Furthermore, this process will aid at benefiting the Valldaura campus with an energy supply through composting food waste from both campuses, in the hills and city. This composting process produces a considerable amount of bio gas that consists mainly of Methane. Through extracting this Methane, energy for heating and cooking can be produced and stored depending on rate of use.
When the composting material is at optimum conditions, the rise in gas production rate results in high pressure. This discovery presented an opportunity to utilise said pressure in various structural aspects. Being able to control the speed and rate of gas production creates the opportunity for manipulation of structure through inflation vs. deflation or expansion vs. contraction. This, in turn, can be used in different scales ie. through combination with PV, Shading devices to create a selective greenhouse effect using minimal gas output to create maximum coverage.
The Metabolic pixel 2.0 aka the “MethLAB” is a small scale composting machine that can be stationed at many locations in Valldaura. In the next few weeks we will conduct further site analysis to select the optimum locations for placement. Using a “satellite” effect, a number of pixels will be placed in said locations and tested. This method will increase coverage and mobility of the structure thus creating a more efficient cycle.
FOOD WASTE —> STRUCTURE —-> ENERGY